The Most Iconic Food Photographs of All Time

Take a look at your Instagram feed. Yes, it may show a real-time survey of the places your friends are eating and what they’re cooking, but it reveals even more about the lasting influence of food photography.

That awesome aerial view engineered atop a stool to show a table bountifully crowded with small plates? You can thank the emergence of cooking shows for this visual technique, devised to put viewers in the shoes of the chef. Or how about the way your buddy manages to create that shadowy, noir-ish essence around a shot of an icy cocktail? That’s chiaroscuro, and it’s been around since the Renaissance.

A fascination with food as a subject is nothing new: French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce snapped the first reported food photograph in 1832 (picture above), and it was a table with a bowl, a few utensils, a goblet, and a heel of bread. Since then, the practice has given birth to a whole industry dedicated to capturing the beauty, symbolism, and down-right deliciousness of food.

Inundated in this day and age with food photography—both awesome and not so awesome—you may be wondering what makes for a great, inspiring, iconic food photo in the first place? We’re glad you asked.

We turned to experienced photographers, chefs, and art historians, asking them the very same question in an attempt to cobble together a recipe for success. For some, food photography is about the message conveyed, from the lasting impression of Gourmet covers to key historical moments that reflect the way we eat. For others, great food photography is art, and its finest practitioners aren’t trade shooters but rather legends like Irving Penn. And still others focus on ingredients themselves, arguing that the image is simply a conduit for their inherent beauty.

For the full picture, take a stroll through food photography history, narrated by our industry commentators.

Take a look at your Instagram feed. Yes, it may show a real-time survey of the places your friends are eating and what they're cooking, but it reveals even more about the lasting influence of food photography.
That awesome aerial view engineered atop a stool to show a table bountifully crowded with small plates? You can thank the emergence of cooking shows for this visual technique, devised to put viewers in the shoes of the chef. Or how about the way your buddy manages to create that shadowy, noir-ish essence around a shot of an icy cocktail? That’s chiaroscuro, and it's been around since the Renaissance.
A fascination with food as a subject is nothing new: French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce snapped the first reported food photograph in 1832 (picture above), and it was a table with a bowl, a few utensils, a goblet, and a heel of bread. Since then, the practice has given birth to a whole industry dedicated to capturing the beauty, symbolism, and down-right deliciousness of food.
Inundated in this day and age with food photography—both awesome and not so awesome—you may be wondering what makes for a great, inspiring, iconic food photo in the first place? We’re glad you asked.
We turned to experienced photographers, chefs, and art historians, asking them the very same question in an attempt to cobble together a recipe for success. For some, food photography is about the message conveyed, from the lasting impression of Gourmet covers to key historical moments that reflect the way we eat. For others, great food photography is art, and its finest practitioners aren't trade shooters but rather legends like Irving Penn. And still others focus on ingredients themselves, arguing that the image is simply a conduit for their inherent beauty.
For the full picture, take a stroll through food photography history, narrated by our industry commentators.

Christopher Barker, Wine in Black and White

In the December 2000 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, there was a story by William Langewiesche about wine critic Robert Parker that won multiple writing awards called “The Million-Dollar Nose.” This black and white photograph by Christopher Barker left such a lasting impression on me with how raw, evocative, and timeless it was; I still have the photo torn out of the magazine 13 years later. It made me realize how photographs related to food can be powerful and emotional because food is so intrinsic to us. I don’t necessarily take photos like this, but looking at this certainly forces me to think about my motivation when taking food and lifestyle pictures. — Andrew Scrivani, photographer

Gourmet’s Fuzzy Quince (2009)

When Gourmet announced their closing in the September 2009 issue, the cover was of a very fuzzy quince. I believe it was by Romulo Yanes. The interior photo of that same quince (without type) changed me as a photographer. From a symbolic point of view, it held enormous meaning for me in being one of the last Gourmet covers. From an artistic perspective, it gave validation to a style that I had been in love with for a long time and attempted on my own. Up until then, I was unsure if these types of images belonged in traditional food publications. However, this painterly, Dutch Masters approach to food photography emboldened me to make pictures like this for publication. Gourmet taught me so much over the years, and with their final salvo they pushed me toward real fulfillment as an artist. — Andrew Scrivani, photographer

This photo is iconic because it captures what Michel stands for—his style and technique [is evident], and almost everything on the plate came from the area surrounding his restaurant. The true beauty of the photo lies in its simplicity. The ingredients are what make the photograph great—not the photographer. And, it’s the produce that makes Michel Bras great; Michel Bras doesn't make the produce great. —Curtis Duffy, chef and owner of Grace

Gourmet covers (pictured: January 2006)

If I look back on my start in food photography, it all begins with Gourmet covers at my grandmother's house. She had a subscription for many years and saved stacks of the publication in her basement. She was in her own right an amazing cook and a friend/assistant to Libby Hillman, who was a neighbor and cookbook author back in the day (she helped to contribute recipes to the book, I believe). I used to admire the photos on these covers—the use of negative space and playing with light and depth of field. I had no idea what these terms were at the time, but I liked the way the photos in those magazines looked, particularly the covers. The image used for the cover of a magazine is always the most important photo in any issue. You can view it laying flat on a table, not having to hold it in your hands and flip through. It's the centerpiece of any issue and the ones for Gourmet were always so perfect. I love this issue I took from my granny's house. It's a well-lit, simple, symmetrical photo that makes you hungry. — Daniel Krieger, photographer

Henri Cartier-Bresson, “Rue Mouffetard, Paris" (1954)

To me, this is what a young boy’s life in France is all about. It’s Henri Cartier-Bresson’s classic photograph, “Rue Mouffetard, Paris,” and it’s iconic in that it captures that universal coming-of-age moment—but with some wine. It makes me imagine there’s a party that night and he is sent with the task of rounding up the bottles of wine—a task he is all too willing to tackle with the expectation he will get a glass or two (watered down, of course). Growing up in the big wine region of Napa, I shared similar experiences at a friend’s parents' winery. Being sent down to the cellar to grab a couple bottles only makes one feel as if he is an adult and truly part of the party. — Gabriel Rucker, chef and co-owner of Le Pigeon and Little Bird

BONUS: David L. Reamer, Smoking Bird

Eds note: Can an unpublished photo be iconic? Probably not, but we were thankful that Gabriel Rucker shared this shot with us, because it's certainly one we won't soon forget.
This image is the absolute favorite from the year and a half it took to make our upcoming cookbook, Le Pigeon: Cooking at the Dirty Bird (Ten Speed Press, September 2013). There’s theatricality to the dish with the lit cigarette lodged in pigeon’s beak; it says less about the dish on the table and more about the attitude and energy at the back of the house. Sadly, it is not in the cookbook. I love it though. Maybe it's the cigarette? Maybe it's the life lesson that you don't always get what you want? I don't know, but what I do know is that it’s the image for me now and I don't have to share it with every person who buys the book. I am, however, sharing it with you. So, enjoy. — Gabriel Rucker, chef and co-owner of Le Pigeon and Little Bird

The Craft of Cocktail cover (2002)

To me, the cover of Dale DeGroff's The Craft of the Cocktail (Clarkson Potter, 2002) is an absolutely iconic photo that captures both the beauty and history of what we do in one shot. The anticipation of the subject inflaming the orange peel over the mixed drink and releasing all of those beautiful aromatics – it makes me thirsty. — Greg Best, bartender and co-owner of Holeman & Finch Public House

Julia Child on the Set of The French Chef (1963)

One shot that is unforgettable is this one of Julia Child in her studio kitchen, on set with studio helpers on the floor at her feet. This image is iconic to me because it is among the first of its kind. It heralds a new age of celebrity-chef and, even more so, America's increased awareness of food, cooking, and eating. — Jennifer May, photographer

Alain Passard's Green Vegetable Collage

Alain Passard's collages from his first book, The Art of Cooking with Vegetables (Frances Lincoln, 2012), offer real insight into his creative process. Here, he presents his methodology of creating composed dishes without using food—instead, just scraps of colored paper. This photo inspired me to start sketching my own ideas for plating, using colored pencils to play with color and texture and think beyond just putting food on a plate. — Linton Hopkins, chef and owner of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House

Pilar Esteban-Ordorica, Slicing Spanish Ham (2009)

Cortar Jamón by Pilar Esteban-Ordorica is an amazing book. The photos demonstrate that the art of carving ham is much like that of a sculptor, purposefully peeling the thinnest of pieces away from the leg to eventually reveal the bone. The chosen photo shows a completely stripped leg, and it's the depiction of mastery. It inspired me to create a movement of my own in the American Southeast through the Fellowship of Country Ham Slicers. — Linton Hopkins, chef and owner of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House

Bacon. Sausage. Pork Belly. Scrapple. All originate from processing the humble pig. Here, Strohmeyer and Wyman’s stereograph depict Armour’s plant as a streamlined, mechanized, and thoroughly modern space. Neat rows of hanging pork unfold before the viewer. It makes me want a BLT; that is, until I remember that Armour’s plant was the model for The Jungle. You remember that book, right? The one you were supposed to read from your high school summer reading list? Upton Sinclair’s muckracking dramatization of the hazards of the meatpacking industry resulted in the development of the federal government’s Food and Drug Administration. — Dana E. Byrd, Ph.D.

Edward Weston, Pepper (1930)

A dramatic interplay of light and shadow dominate Edward Weston’s photograph of a bell pepper. Weston’s tight focus and dramatic lighting elevates the pepper beyond roughage. Unfolding sensuously before our eyes, the pepper becomes a thing unto itself. The sinuous curves of the bell pepper nuzzle each other, and even seem to whisper a tender goodbye before meeting their fate on a sizzling plate of fajitas. — Dana E. Byrd, Ph.D.

"You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!" Who can say no to that delicious treat? From mayhem to macabre, the crime photographer Weegee captured scenes of everyday life in New York City. Here, he dons an ice-cream peddler’s uniform and demonstrates how he was able to gain access to crime scenes and other locales. The chronicler-of-eight-million-stories-out-there-in-the-Naked-City’s portrait is unexpectedly delicious. — Dana E. Byrd, Ph.D.

Jacob Holdt, “Untitled" from American Pictures (1989)

Bright colors—the auburn hair of the woman smoking a cigarette at the table, the florid skin and jackets of her dinner companions, even the reddish hue of the lobster—dominate the scene. Holdt, a Danish photographer, traveled to the United States in order to document quintessentially American culture. In a simple photographic language that we can all understand, Holdt uses food to show the wretched excess of 1980s America. — Dana E. Byrd, Ph.D.

Dorothy Lange, White Angel Breadline (1934)

Shot steps away from her San Francisco studio, Dorothy Lange's arresting portrait—both of collective humanity and an individual—cuts directly to the pains of the Great Depression. Her focal point is a disheveled gentleman, situated just off-center in the frame, clutching a tin cup. He's turned from the rest of the dense crowd, encompassing the depths of America's fall, and immortalized in one of the photographer's most famous works. Unlike most of her other iconic shots, this photo was not produced under the auspice of the Farm Security Administration. Instead, it stands as one of Lang's first attempts at street photography—and what an attempt. With one flick of the shutter, she captured the complex emotional tangle of the 1930s, from the down-and-out hunch of the primary figure to the hope provided by Louis Jordan, the proprietor of the White Angel Jungle soup kitchen. It is a potent reminder of the sustaining power of food and its capacity as a catalyst for social change. — Nick Schonberger, founding editor, First We Feast

David Stess, Winnowing (1991)

Behind the sweet flavors of summer is the smell of hard labor. New York-based photographer David Brooks Stress began documenting Down East Maine's blueberry raking season in the 1980s. And, he hasn't just shot it—he's joined migrant families in filling boxes boxes with fruit. The work finances his photography but also gives context to the images—honest, pure portraits. Stress' output gives a personality to the harvest. With mechanized raking taking over, the collected photographs also document a dying American tradition and form a reminder of the back-breaking toil once common place in all state's producing valuable seasonal industries. — Nick Schonberger, founding editor, First We Feast

Fidel Castro with Chinese food and a Coke (ca. 1960)

Anything that a world leader does in a photograph is politicized, especially eating—food has such universal cultural currency, and just seeing what's on someone's table can cause powerful knee-jerk reactions about their values. Presidents, for example, might have elaborate meals with foreign dignitaries behind closed doors, but when it comes to the campaign trail, you'll find them eating hot dogs at roadside joints, enjoying an ice cream outdoors, or drinking a macro-brewed American lager in a neighborhood saloon to show solidarity with their constituents. But while these moments tend to be staged for the press, what I love about this portrait of Castro is how candid it is—he's caught eating a very American meal of Chinese food with a bottle of Coke, yet he looks unmistakably happy. Whatever your feelings are about the man as a leader, you feel like in this precise moment, you could sit down across from him and at least find something in common—if only the love of takeout and soda. That's a powerful reminder of food's ability to cut through differences and unite people around a table. —Chris Schonberger, editor-in-chief, First We Feast

Ferran Adrià cover, New York Times Magazine (2003)

Magazine covers have tremendous power when it comes to making a statement or capturing the zeitgeist of a particular moment in time. Sometimes it's less about the shot itself as the whole package—the timing, the cover line, the way it looks on the newsstand. This New York Times Magazine cover represented a seismic shift in the international restaurant world, loosening France's stronghold on fine-dining ideas and crowning Spain's avant-garde chefs as the new culinary leaders. Ferran went on to score a cover of Le Monde's supplement and earned a spot on Time's 100 most influential people list within the next year, but this cover was that one that thrust elBulli onto the world stage. In addition to the memorable cover line ("The Nueva Nouvelle Cuisine"), the photo is an iconic shots of the man who has become one of the world's most influential chefs. The brooding, sleep-deprived mad-scientist look; the mysterious shadows; and the mandarin foam representing food many people had never heard of before all contributed to a cover that will always be associated with the legend of Ferran and rise of Spanish cuisine. — Chris Schonberger, editor-in-chief, First We Feast

BONUS: Gerber and Quaker Oats logos

Eds note: While we're not convinced that these qualify as photos, Roy Choi's answer certainly made us scratch our heads and question the very foundation of our lives. Check it out if you'd like to experience your own existential crisis.
These are the two iconic food photos—ones that every American recognizes. But, it makes me think. Why don't I look like them? Why was I not raised on these foods? Does life start with gruel and end with gruel? Creation, destruction, and movement—is this America? I don't have any answers, do you? — Roy Choi, chef and owner of Kogi BBQ Truck, Chego, Alibi Room, A-Frame, and Sunny Spot

Sonya Yu, Cheesecake Instagram (2013)

Moving to something more modern and maybe not what you'd expect as one of the most iconic food photos of all time is this Instagram photo. Gourmet is gone, but the influence of their photography is still seen today. You can see it in many photographers' work right now and what Sonya Yu (@sonyayu) is doing with her Instagram feed is basically making cover images with her iPhone. She is setting these gorgeous spreads and shooting them at home and posting to her account. Sonya could do a book with these images, and the fact she's shooting them with the camera inside a phone is really mind-blowing. Featured here is her Blueberry & Meyer Lemon Cheesecake in #vermeerlight.— Daniel Krieger, photographer

Irving Penn, “Frozen Foods with String Beans, New York" (1977)

An iconic fashion photographer takes an unfashionable ingredient and shoots it as if it's haute couture. A true balancing act—literally and figuratively. Irving Penn photographed for Vogue for decades and approached his subjects in a Modernist style, even here in “Frozen Foods with String Beans, New York.” Repeating the rectangular bricks infers mass production while the pastel tones, paled by frost, note their fleeting freshness. This still-life goes beyond commentary on fashion trends; these items are hum-drum icons of Americana, never shown in this way before. It has a depth past the beauty—one that carries an ideology and changes the way we think about how we look at food in all forms. — Michael Harlan Turkell, photographer

Hans Gissinger, “Couteau/Knife" from La Conversation (2000)

Most people cite Marco Pierre White's White Heat with its black and white photos of the action in the kitchen as the new, more reportage style of "food photography.” Hans Gissinger made it into art. Gissinger, a Swiss commercial photographer, is most recognized in the food world for shooting the cover of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. In this image from La Conversation, he treats his everyday interactions with chef Marc Meneau with stark realism. Blood, the slaughtering of animals, the process of breaking down the beast for service. Something that was rarely shown in a cookbook, he shared it with the public, bringing to light to our complex relationship with where our food comes from. — Michael Harlan Turkell, photographer

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